Harrogate v Blackpool – Weaver happy to adopt underdog status against Tangerines

The duo have nine goals between them so far this term, with the latter also boasting three assists for the League One Tangerines, visitors to Wetherby Road.

Madine is more of a household name having played in the Premier League for Cardiff City in the not-too-distant past, though it is the threat of Yates that Weaver is all too aware of.

The former Rotherham United forward spent a couple of months on loan with Harrogate back in 2015-16, netting four times in eight matches when the Sulphurites were still a National League North club.

“Jerry was fantastic when he came to us from Rotherham as an 18-year-old. Straight away from his first training session you could see that he had something. He was busy, looked sharp, movement was good,” Weaver said.

“We played him up front with Dominic Knowles and he did well. He’s developed into a really good Football League player, as I expected he would do.

“He’ll pose a real threat on Saturday, him and Madine. That’s probably the best strike partnership in the division above.

“It’ll be a real challenge for our players at the back, but the kind which they should be relishing.”

With Harrogate 12th in League Two and the Tangerines currently 15th in the third tier, Weaver accepts that his team are very much underdogs to progress to round three, but insists they will have a go regardless.

“Nobody outside of the building will expect us to beat them, but we’ll go into it with confidence ,” he added.

“I do have belief in our players. We’ll be attack-minded, we’ll go for broke.”

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